French la Vie

Going to the Brocante Living Art

Corey — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:00:41 +0000

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
— Henry David Thoreau

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” —Pablo Picasso

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” — Thomas Merton

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
— Vincent Van Gogh

“Creativity takes courage.” — Henri Matisse

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
— George Eliot

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”
— Joseph Campbell

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”

— Pablo Picasso

Comments

Love all these quotes. Thanks for posting them. And let me add: ... by Diogenes
Beautiful photos. Enjoy and have a wonderful time……of ... by Leonie

Brocante We Go

Corey — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:00:23 +0000

Spring in our steps, lucky brocante finds in everyone’s hands, sunshine day.

The pleasure leading a group to some of my favorite Brocante’s places in Provence, and seeing them happy!

Shared passion for experiencing France through the lens of the brocante.

Not even day two and those asking about when they can come again. Happy!

Comments

In reply to joanna. That is so true. Sensory overload ! by Corey
In reply to Laura. I hope you will come in 2027 by Corey
In reply to Diogenes. Oh you would!!! by Corey
In reply to Roleen Bisaillon. Yes, they are opened to ... by Corey
I love the picture of the textiles. I could spend all my time ... by Ann of Avondale
Are these wonderful tours open to all women? I would love to ... by Roleen Bisaillon

The Season Starts: Antiquing in France

Corey — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:00:56 +0000

We are off to a fantastic start collaborating with Red Shed Tours. 14 women as crazy as we are about French antiques.- I hope you will follow along.

Comments

In reply to Diogenes. I believe it. The shipping and tarifs ... by Corey
BTW I thought of you at a recent auction here. See the pair of ... by Diogenes
Armchair traveling with you! Love your photos. by Lil
Enjoy every moment! Hugs, M by Marilyn Miller
Looking forward to seeing all the pics from your adventures! by Diogenes

Pickles Painting

Corey — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:00:13 +0000

and while they painted we talked about types of paint, painters such as Matisse, what we would have for lunch (pasta with sardines,) and how the word « bro » is not a name but an abréviation of brother- therefore not really a name for a baby boy- though Claire Sparkle says Bro is her favorite boy name. (Thanks to a cartoon called ,Miss Clever.

Comments

Claire Sparkle must keep you smiling every day. What a ... by Marilyn Miller

Opération Lola: a little girl’s big plan.

Corey — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:00:50 +0000

Olivia wants a baby sister. She is on a mission to have one, and she has a name picked out: Lola. She says it with total certainty, as if Lola already exists somewhere and simply needs to be picked up.

So one day, Olivia asked Chelsea (her mommy) directly: could they please get a baby?

Her mother, explained that mommies and daddies make babies together — that mommies have eggs, and daddies have seeds, and that’s how the baby making begins. Olivia absorbed this information – Eggs. Seeds. Got it.

But then came the logistical wrinkle.

“Mommies and daddies,” her mother said carefully, “need to be alone in their bedroom to make a baby.”

Here is where you should know something about Olivia: she does not always sleep in her own bed. When the night feels a little too dark, or a little too silent, she slips down the hall and tucks herself in between Mommy and Daddy. This happens, let’s say, often.

Alone in her bedroom. She turned this over in her mind.

And then — the plan.

She announced that she would be spending the night at Vavie’s house. She packed her things as someone who has Important Business to attend to.

As her mother was heading out the door, Olivia looked up at her with great seriousness and said:

« OK, Mommy. Tonight you will be alone with Daddy- so make a baby. »

All through dinner, she kept me posted on the progress of the operation. Her mommy and daddy, she explained between bites, were at home making a baby. She said it the way you might report that someone is doing the laundry.

I tried very hard not to laugh. I looked at her — those sweet eyes, that little face so full of purpose — and I thought:

what a pickle.

The very first words out of her mouth the next morning:

“Let’s call Mommy and Daddy and see
if they made a baby!”

Unfortunately, Daddy was away on a business trip.

I have a feeling this means there will be more sleepovers in our future — more nights of dinner-table dispatches, more morning check-ins on the baby situation. And you know what? I couldn’t be happier about that.